Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) announced today they have been exclusively accredited by the US DOE as their national recognized safety testing laboratory to test small electronic motors to the US DOE's mandatory energy efficiency requirements. According to 10 CFR Part 43, subpart X, "431.446, Small electric motors energy conservation standards and their effective dates," each small electric motor, rated between 1/4 and three horsepower output, manufactured alone or as a component of another piece of non-covered equipment, after March 9, 2015, or in the case of a small electric motor which requires listing or certification by a nationally recognized safety testing laboratory, after March 9, 2017, be tested in accordance with the US DOE requirements and be found to have an average full-load energy efficiency greater than the minimum values prescribed in the regulations.
Penalties for non-compliance include immediate cessation of distribution in commerce and potential substantial civil penalties (fines) levied against the offending manufacturer. In 2010, the US DOE fined 27 companies over $3.5 million for selling products without certifying they met energy efficiency standards. Fined companies included manufacturers, importers and resellers of motors and appliances.
"UL has worked with the US DOE since the inception of the motor energy efficiency program and can provide guidance and resources necessary to evaluate and test products for compliance with the US DOE requirements in a timely manner," said Frank Ladonne, UL Principal Engineer. "UL is here to help ensure company access to the US market is uninterrupted and to mitigate risk of civil penalties and/or regulatory action for noncompliance," added Ladonne.
